SA Rugby has confirmed that Felix Jones will rejoin Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks on March 1, 2025.
Jones, who joined Steve Borthwick’s coaching staff after assisting South Africa in winning consecutive Rugby World Cups, rejoins the Springboks lineup following a brief stint with England in 2024.
After the tour to New Zealand, the Irishman apparently expressed his dissatisfaction with his “unstable working environment,” and on December 13, 2024, he formally resigned from his position with England.
Returning to the Springboks is Felix Jones.
He has now been reappointed as the assistant coach of the Springboks for the upcoming cycle, which ends in 2027 with the Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Jones is one of the three new members of the coaching and management groups that Springboks head coach Erasmus announced as part of the team’s management team announcement on Thursday. He is joined by Robyn Moore, who will start as the team dietitian on April 1st, and Lance Lemmetjies, who will join the medical team as one of two physiotherapists starting in June.
“We are thrilled to have Felix rejoin the Springbok team and can’t wait to watch him continue where he left off in 2023,” Erasmus stated.
He was an essential member of the coaching staff from 2019 to 2023, and his background, professionalism, and strong work ethic will make him a valuable member of the outstanding coaching staff we established at the start of 2024.
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“I have no doubt that Felix will work just as closely with Jerry (Flannery) and Tony (Brown), who joined us last season, as he did with the majority of our coaches in the past.
“After working in the UK for a while and watching the rival sides in the Six Nations and other international competitions, his expertise will be invaluable in helping us adjust and get better as we prepare for a challenging international season.
“As a team, we know that we must continue to develop and improve if we hope to stay among the best in the world and to give ourselves the best chance to defend our World Cup title in Australia in 2027. Felix, along with all the other coaching and support staff, will be crucial in helping us achieve this goal.”
As the departing “warrior” makes a Springboks pledge, Rassie Erasmus pays a heartfelt homage to “true team man” Steven Kitshoff.
When Jones returned to the Bok setup, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer joined in the jubilation.
“We are certain that Felix’s presence will further fortify the coaching group, as we all know the value he brought to the team during his tenure with the Springboks,” Oberholzer stated.
“It’s great that Lance and Robyn are also on board to share their knowledge and experience because the management team behind the scenes plays an equally important role in making sure the team functions optimally from a player welfare and operational perspective so that the players have everything they need to perform to the best of their abilities on the team.”
“We are confident that Rassie and his support staff will greatly benefit from these team additions.”
The management team of the Springboks
Charles Wessels, general manager; Rassie Erasmus, head coach
Assistant Coach Tony Brown
Deon Davids: Helper Coach
Flannery, Jerry: Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach Daan Human
Duane Vermeulen: Mobi-Unit Coach Felix Jones: Assistant Coach Mzwandile Stick: Assistant Coach
Head of Athletic Performance, Andy Edwards
Jaco Peyper: Advisor on Laws and Discipline
Paddy Sullivan: Analyst of Performance
Technical Analyst Lindsay Weyer
Sport Scientist Sebastian Prim
Team Physician: Dr. Jerome Lehlogonolo Mampane; Dr. Anuerin Physiotherapist Robyn
Lemmetjies, Lance: Physiotherapist
Logistics Manager JJ Fredericks, Operations Manager Tintsika Tashe, and Media Manager Zeena Isaacs van Tonder
Moore, Robyn: Dietician